Rainbow/Dio Bassist Jimmy Bain Dead at 68

Jimmy Bain, the former bassist of Rainbow and Dio, passed away over the weekend, the musician's bandmates have confirmed. A cause of death has not been revealed, but he was 68 years old.

News of Bain's passing arrived yesterday (January 24), with Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell having posted a lengthy tribute to his friend on Facebook. The guitarist had previously played with Bain in the '80s in Dio and had more recently linked up together for the Last in Line project. The act had been taking part in Def Leppard's "Hysteria on the High Seas" cruise, last having performed on January 20.

The eulogy had Campbell thanking Bain for "my first big break in the music industry" and calling the late bassist "a very kind and gentle and generous soul."

The post reads: "Jimmy's struggles with his demons were well documented through the years, but over the last 18 months he had finally won that battle and he was bright and lucid and motivated throughout the writing and recording of the new record. He leaves behind him a rich legacy of work from Rainbow, through Wild Horses, Dio, and finally, Last in Line. Jimmy was immensely proud of our new album and his input to it was immeasurable."

Born in Newtonmore, Scotland, Bain was actively playing music by his teens. Some of his earlier bands included Street Noise and Harlot.

Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore asked Bain to join Rainbow in the mid-'70s, which led to the recording of the iconic Rising LP with vocalist Ronnie James Dio in 1976.

Bain was fired from Rainbow the next year, which led to a stint playing in Thin Lizzy leader Phil Lynott's solo band, and then the formation of Wild Horses with Thin Lizzy axeman Brian Robertson.
By the early '80s, Bain hooked up with Ronnie James Dio again to play in the vocalist's eponymous metal band. Though he dipped in and out of the lineup over the years, Bain appeared on seven full-length Dio albums, starting with 1983's Holy Diver and ending with 2002's Killing the Dragon.

Playing in Dio introduced Bain to Vivian Campbell, who would recruit the bassist in 2012 for the Last in Line project, which also includes former Dio drummer Vinny Appice and singer Andrew Freeman. The band are due to deliver a new album titled Heavy Crown next month.